Vehicles in a state of construction are typically transported via a conveyor system through an assembly plant from one workstation to another to facilitate the efficient manufacture and assembly of the vehicles. The vehicles are typically connected to one another via a tow bar and are commonly temporarily detached from a drive mechanism incorporated within the conveyor system to allow operations to be performed on the vehicles as they remain stationary in a pause mode, and, then, are recoupled to the drive mechanism so they can be transported to the next operation. While being detached and recoupled to the conveyor system, the vehicles and conveyor system typically encounter shock loads. The shock loads, unless properly absorbed, can result in damage to the vehicles and/or the conveyor system and can also produce excessive fatigue and wear to components of the conveyor system.
In an attempt to reduce the shock loads resulting from starting and stopping the relatively heavy vehicles from the conveyor system, it is known to incorporate industrial shock absorbers between a tow bar drawn platform carrying the vehicle and the conveyor system. The shock absorbers are typically one of three types, pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical. Regardless of the type, generally the shock absorbers are initially effective in reducing shock forces between the platform and the conveyor system, however, typically the shock absorbers become fatigued or damaged in use. Fatigue to the shock absorbers commonly results in the form of warn seals, friction plates, or other internal components, which can be exacerbated by the harsh environmental conditions at certain work stations within the plant, such as excessive heat, dust and airborne paint droplets, for example. Damage to the shock absorbers commonly results from the high loads encountered in side loading or bending type situations as the carrier platform navigates tight corners along the conveyor system. As such, the shock absorbers typically require more than routine maintenance, excessive repair, and frequent replacement. This adds costs to the vehicle manufacturing process.